1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for preventing the accidental or unintentional discharge of a firearm. More specifically, it relates to a lockable device that may be installed on handguns, rifles or other firearms having a clip or magazine and an exposed breech area.
2. Description of Related Art
The number of accidental shootings caused by careless handling of firearms that are thought to be unloaded or that were in the hands of inexperienced operators is well known and publicized. In fact, it has been stated that firearms are the leading cause of accidental deaths in children ages 14 and under. Nearly 90% of accidental shootings occur in the home of the victim or that of a close friend or relative. Although many firearm owners attempt to hide a firearm kept in the home, children often know where it is hidden or later discover its location. Public safety messages are broadcast through various media sources, but accidental shootings still occur at an alarming rate. Accordingly, many firearm owners employ aftermarket safety devices to reduce the risk of accidental misuse.
Various types of aftermarket firearm safety mechanisms are known. These mechanisms include: (1) bore locks which require the insertion of a plug or lockable bar through the bore or barrel of the forearm, (2) trigger guard locks that enclose the trigger guard area to prevent insertion of a finger or block rearward movement of the trigger itself, and (3) frame-mounted locks which integrate a blocking device or active locking mechanism into one or more operations of the firearm, such as the manual safety, hammer drawback or drop, or magazine insertion.
The art related to bore locks includes various breech locks, breech stops and chamber plugs designed for insertion into the breech of a firearm usually with a retractable pin or plug projecting into the breech end of the barrel and sometimes rearwardly to engage the breech block, bolt, frame, or slide. Representative examples of various bore and breech blocking mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,894, issued to Libassi on Jun. 6, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,952, issued to Miller et al., on Oct. 30, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,613, issued to Miller et al., on Mar. 24, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,759, issued to Marceau et al., on Jul. 26, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,832 issued to Barnhart on May 2, 1995.
Of the bore lock mechanisms listed above, those including a key-operated securing means are relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture. The remainder of the bore lock mechanisms, while simple to use and produce, do not have the additional safety feature of a key-operated means for permanently securing the mechanism to the firearm.
The field of frame-mounted locks include various locking mechanisms that interact with both the frame and a dummy magazine to hold the dummy magazine in place while the lock is engaged and to prevent loading or discharging the firearm. These locking mechanisms may also include a magazine block or plug that obstructs the loading or passage of ammunition through or from a tubular, stacked or drum magazine. Representative examples of various magazine locking mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,765 issued to Johnson on Jul. 6, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,729 issued to Von Muller on Aug. 6, 1985; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,062 issued to Johnson on Oct. 28, 1986.
The magazine locks of Johnson ('765 patent) and Von Muller are complicated to employ and construct. On the other hand, the Johnson magazine block ('762 patent), while cheaper to produce and simple to use, does not offer the additional safety feature of a key-operated means for permanently securing the mechanism to the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,526, issued to Campbell on Nov. 8, 1994, describes a securing device which is used by inserting it through the loading port of a shotgun having a tubular magazine. The securing device blocks the operation of the cartridge elevator and bolt slide. This securing device has the disadvantage of not providing any lock for preventing removal of the device from the secured shotgun.
French Pat. App. No. 2,561,369, published on Sep. 20, 1985, appears to describe a securing means for a weapon.
Summarizing the prior art, it can be seen that most inexpensive and easy to manufacture firearm safety devices lack the additional feature of a lockable means for permanently securing the device to a firearm to resist or prevent unauthorized removal. Those devices employing a lockable means are overly complicated in their design and are, therefore, expensive and more difficult to operate. The present invention, however, provides a straight forward means for rendering a firearm safe by utilizing an uncomplicated design that is inexpensive to manufacture. In addition, it provides a visually verifiable means for easily determining whether a firearm is in a safe condition.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, describe the instant invention as claimed.